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Nastia Liukin: Jordyn Wieber’s All-Around Finals Fail “Is Unfortunate”

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Nastia Liukin, Jordyn Wieber

Olympic gymnast Jordyn Wieber can find comfort in 2008 gold medalist Nastia Liukin's words and own story of disappointment.

Wieber, a 17-year-old Olympic rookie, was met with the biggest letdown of her career in London on Sunday when the longtime favorite failed to qualify for the All-Around Finals while her Team USA teammates Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas advanced.

Related: PHOTOS: Meet Team USA's gymnasts

"It is very unfortunate that Jordyn won't be able to compete in [all-around] Finals in London," Lukin, who failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Team in early July, tells Us Weekly. "In gymnastics, there is a rule that only the top two scoring gymnasts per country can qualify to the AA Final and because Aly and Gabby scored slightly higher than Jordyn, she won't be able to compete."

Related: VIDEO: Athletes to watch at this year's Games

Lukin, 22, who nabbed the all-around gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China, was set to come out on top during this year's Olympics, but saw her career come to an end when she fell, face-down during her uneven bar routine at the 2012 Olympic Trials. (The 5-foot-3 Texas native is now commentating the London Games for NBC.)

Having been there, done that, Liukin has words of encouragement for her country's accomplishments ahead of the all-around title on Tuesday. "As heartbreaking as it is, it really shows how strong team USA is right now…to place 3 girls in the top 4 in the world and score above a 60…That tells you something right there. It's so incredible."

Related: PHOTOS: Olympic athletes' post-Olympics careers

There's no doubt that seeing her teammates go for the gold hasn't been easy for Liukin. "Even though it's a little strange not to compete, I'm so excited to be here. There's nothing like an Olympic Games," she tells Us.

Want more Olympics? Meet Team USA's families, go inside their homes (and gyms!), and more! Check out Us Weekly's Olympic collectors edition, "American Heroes," on newsstands now. Order at bn.com/usolympics.

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